PRETORIA - Debutant Dwaine Pretorius and Anrich Nortje caused some serious damage to the English batting lineup taking three wickets between them during the second spell of the second day at SuperSport Park.
England limped to a 157 for six at the tea break after Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander laid the groundwork for the new seam bowling duo of Pretorius and Nortje.
The tourists returned from the lunch break on 60 for two before Philander struck another major blow taking the wicket of danger man and captain Joe Root.
Philander was reintroduced into the attack after a miserly first spell of 5-5-0-1 conceding his first run after delivering 33 dot balls. But he finally got his man four deliveries late with Root nicking the ball to South African keeper Quinton de Kock.
Ben Stokes, another major England thorn stepped onto the field, joining Joe Denly in the middle.
While one Joe had been removed another carried on with Stokes giving South Africa’s bowling attack a host of puzzling questions to solve.
Stokes and Denly combined for a 72-run partnership before Pretorius got his first wicket on Test debut inducing the inside edge from Denly to send the danger man packing on 50.
Nortje, who has initially battled bowling at Stokes and Denly, finally got his breakthrough dismantling new man Jonny Bairstow’s (1) wickets.
He struck again in his next over with Stokes edging the ball to the keeper leaving England in trouble on 150 for six.